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Why use safe mode?
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2
How to boot into safe mode?
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3
How to access device manager in safe mode?
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4
How to use device manager in safe mode?
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5
How to exit safe mode?
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If you are experiencing hardware problems on your Windows PC, such as blue screens, crashes, or driver errors, you might need to boot into safe mode and use the device manager. Safe mode is a diagnostic mode that starts Windows with only the essential drivers and services, allowing you to troubleshoot and fix hardware issues. In this article, you will learn how to access device manager in safe mode and what are the common hardware problems that require this procedure.
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1 Why use safe mode?
Safe mode is a useful tool for diagnosing and resolving hardware problems that prevent Windows from starting normally or cause instability. Common hardware problems that require safe mode include corrupted or incompatible drivers that cause blue screens or errors, malware or viruses that affect system files or drivers, faulty or misconfigured hardware devices that interfere with Windows boot process or performance, and conflicts or issues with multiple hardware devices or peripherals. Booting into safe mode can help you isolate the problem and take action, such as disabling or uninstalling the faulty driver or device, performing a system restore, or running a scan.
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2 How to boot into safe mode?
If you can access Windows normally, you can boot into safe mode by pressing the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box, typing msconfig, clicking OK to open the System Configuration window, selecting the Boot tab, checking the box for Safe boot under Boot options, choosing the type of safe mode you want (Minimal, Network, Alternate shell, or Active Directory repair), and clicking Apply and OK before restarting your PC. On the other hand, if you cannot access Windows normally, you can press F8 repeatedly before the Windows logo appears to enter the Advanced Boot Options menu and use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, or Safe Mode with Command Prompt before pressing Enter.
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3 How to access device manager in safe mode?
In safe mode, you can access the device manager, a tool that permits you to view and manage your hardware devices and drivers. To access device manager in safe mode, you can press the Windows key + X to select Device Manager from the menu, press the Windows key + R to type devmgmt.msc and click OK, or click the Start button and type device manager and click the result.
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4 How to use device manager in safe mode?
The device manager in safe mode will display a list of categories representing your hardware devices, such as Display adapters, Network adapters, Sound, video and game controllers. You can expand each category to view the specific devices and their status. You can use the device manager in safe mode to disable or enable a device by right-clicking on it and selecting the appropriate option. You can also uninstall or reinstall a device, update a device driver, roll back a device driver, and view device properties and details. All of these actions can be done by right-clicking on the device and selecting the appropriate option.
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5 How to exit safe mode?
To exit safe mode and restart your PC normally after using the device manager to troubleshoot and fix your hardware problem, you can use msconfig to uncheck the box for Safe boot under Boot options, then click Apply and OK and restart your PC. Alternatively, you can simply restart your PC and it will boot normally if you used F8 to enter safe mode.
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